RCrussi

THE COVER-UP? By @GordonBrown Will anyone in Britain ever be charged in relation to the sexual violence perpetrated and orchestrated on British soil by the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein? Nothing less than the prosecution of those who aided and abetted Epstein will do justice to those who suffered grievous, unconscionable sexual abuse. The very fact that the former prince Andrew – who strenuously denies any wrongdoing – has been questioned by the police has given new hope to victims. It has led to the belief that action is now underway on this side of the Atlantic. However, the misconduct in public office that is being investigated has focused more on the potential passing of confidential government documents to unauthorised recipients than on the more serious alleged crimes of trafficking and sexual abuse revealed in the Epstein files. The American lawyer Brad Edwards, who represents Epstein’s victims, says some of his clients were abused in the UK. Because of the way Epstein’s trafficking ring operated, evidence could be assembled from drivers, airline and airport staff, ticketing agents and credit card companies. Testimonies should also be secured from estate agents, banks, border officials and royal protection officers. The British authorities should re-interview Andrew, not just over possible breaches of the Official Secrets Act, but over his use of public funds, and especially over incidents in which women allegedly brought to him at Sandringham, Buckingham Palace, Windsor and other locations, may have been trafficked into the country by Epstein. The King has said that no one should be above the law, and alongside the police investigation, a select committee in parliament should examine how public funds were used, and whether a cover-up took place that prevented Andrew from being interviewed by US investigators. It would be a damning indictment of the quality of British justice – and our claim to lead the world in the exposure and prosecution of modern slavery – if, through our failure to follow up on what we already know, we did not get to the truth. Cover art by Lincoln Agnew